Charlie Hebdo's humor upsets Turkish Islamists
Turks have taken to social media to criticize or applaud their government's reaction to the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris, though some individuals have threatened a Turkish newspaper with violence after its publication of Charlie Hebdo cartoons.
On Jan. 11, when Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu marched alongside world leaders in Paris to honor the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, back in Turkey, members of the Aczimendi religious order performed funereal prayers to honor the perpetrators of the attacks. Other religious groups tweeted public invitations to prayer sessions for the perpetrators. Referred to as the “Kouachi brothers,” these men were not terrorists in the eyes of several religious sects in Turkey.
Indeed, in the Justice and Development Party (AKP) municipality of Tatvan in Bitlis province, a billboard was posted, reading: “May peace be upon the Kouachi brothers who sought the revenge of the Prophet. When you [Western world] kill it is called democracy, when we seek revenge [it is called] terrorism.” Tatvan’s mayor told the media that individuals posted the sign without the knowledge of his office and it was promptly removed. Yet, it was enough to cause a stir on social media. One tweet read: “A manly statement from Tatvan. While some are fawning over the French [dogs], Tatvan is standing tall.” The tweet used #Parismarch as a hashtag, indicating the user's disapproval of Davutoglu’s participation in the march.
It seems Davutoglu was not able to please any group in Turkey by attending the Paris solidarity march. AKP parliamentarian Burhan Kuzu tweeted: “Yesterday’s death toll was 2,000 in Nigeria, 83 in Iraq, 38 in Yemen, 26 in Syria, 16 in Afghanistan and 12 in France. But the whole world spoke only about the 12 in France.” A Twitter user gave a tongue-in-cheek reply: “Well, right, then why is Davutoglu not going to Nigeria but France?” Kuzu did not reply. Davutoglu’s attendance at the rally brought satire to a new level in Turkish social media. First, a short video appeared showing Davutoglu trying to make his way to the front row of the march, ever so gently pushing a woman. Then another video appeared, in which French President Francois Hollande greets several participants with kisses on both cheeks, but avoids kissing Davutoglu. Satire masters have dubbed the voice of a famous Turkish comedian over the clip, saying, “Me, me, now me! Why not me?” as Davutoglu waits in vain.
On the other side of the spectrum is the opposition to the AKP. Secularists among the opposition struggled to grapple with the reality that these religious orders and political entities — such as a Twitter account titled Jabhat al-Nusra in Turkish — could act so boldly in public in a country where freedom of expression is strictly regulated. One person tweeted the prayer announcement for the Kouachi brothers, adding: “These groups get the courage from [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, who told them 'be offensive.'"
